Anyway, to business. I've heard that the minimum criteria for IHR is being downsized
on an ongoing basis and currently stands at about 12 weeks minimum. This smacks of undue haste after the more sensible 8 months and then six month absences that prompted consideration. Oddly enough though I have a mate who appears to have enough rope to hang himself about three hundred times and is still in gainful employment at RM.He's been off since January with stress and anxiety. His wife had a thriving business, they borrowed heavily on the strength of it ........... and very soon they are about to lose it all when the bank calls the loans in. The business has gone, the house will be repossessed and his job has become absolutely pointless ............... £200 a week with debts of six figures. Understandably he's had something of a breakdown but he's been told by RM's health assessment team to give it time. The problem is exacerbated because he's too ashamed to tell them the whole story, just that he's under pressure (mild understatement).
Bearing in mind all of the above it's obvious why the guy sees his job as utterly pointless. He would love IHR even though the pay off would be a drop in the ocean. He's indicated strongly to the health assessors that he doesn't want to come back and he wouldn't be up to it even if he was that way inclined.
How likely is it that the DOM will finish him even though the health assessors have recommended otherwise ? Do the DOMs ever ignore the advice of the health assessors or are they taking a huge risk by doing so. Clearly my friend would not oppose IHR, but he doesn't want to make this known as he feels it may be used against him.
A can of worms and no mistake.